2.1 A college degree is a key to the future. But which door do you want to unlock? Choosing a career can seem overwhelming, but it can be as simple as following a few steps, making a few phone calls and doing a little homework.
Step 1: Ask Yourself Career counselors and personality tests can help you focus on what's right for you. Ask yourself -- what do I love so much I'd do it for free? What am I good at? What type of personality do I have? The answers will lead you to a satisfying job.
Step 2: Keep An Open Mind Just about any degree -- even accounting and law -- offers more possibilities than most college graduates realize. And some careers have many paths. For instance, career expert and author of "Cool Careers For Dummies" Marty Nemko points out there are many different kinds of attorneys. Some spend a lot of time in court, others work on contracts.
Step 3: Job Shop Salary and benefits are just two parts of a much larger equation. Think about where you want to work, who you want to work with, the type of environment you like, travel and opportunities for advancement. After you've narrowed it down, contact someone who's working in the field that interests you. Your university alumni office can help you find a professional who's willing to answer your questions. Ask them what it takes to be successful in the field, the best things about the job and the drawbacks.
Step 4: Good Company
To pick the organization you want to work for „ skip the corporate website. Instead... research the Best Companies to Work For lists. Read newspaper and magazine articles for the low-down on how those companies are doing. Don't settle... You'll never get a second chance to choose your first job. And you can do it!
3.4
Career development is more or less it's an ongoing, it's a life long process of gaining knowledge and improving your skills that will help you in establishing your career plan.
It is important in knowing what direction you are heading in, what you plan to do, what your goals are, what you want to accomplish when you walk out of your institution that you are in and you know what you are working towards so
we can get you to that goal in the quickest possible way.
Meeting with a career counselor is helpful to kind of give you some directions, some path, some guideway there, working towards that seeing how you can find a career that fits your personality, your interests, your skills, that plays up your strengths and helping you work towards that, setting out some educational goals some guideways, some careers that would work towards that and then of course you know yourself better than we after talking with you for an hour or two, you look at the information, the things that we can give you and then you ultimately make the decision of what works best for you.
I think job shadowing, I think talking with people who have worked in these different careers is helpful in knowing more about what happens on a day to day basis in a particular career.
4.3 HONG KONG, once a "a barren island with hardly a house on it", in the words of Lord Palmerston, a British statesman of the mid-19th century, is now a regional hub for financiers and consultants. It's a stressful place with a fast-moving business culture and a joyous emphasis on food. Our tips below (part of a series) should help you to make the most of your time there.
Meetings and greetings
? A handshake is the most common form of greeting, followed immediately by the swapping of business cards. These should be offered and received with both hands, with the writing the right way up for the recipient to read. When receiving a business card, make a show of examining it, then put it into your card case or place it on the table. It is rude to stuff it straight in a pocket. Try to have cards printed with Chinese on one side and English on the other. ? Make sure you have a plentiful supply of business cards, as they are exchanged at an alarming rate. Failing to offer one may suggest you don’t want to make the person’s acquaintance, that your own status is unimportant, or that you are fundamentally unprepared to do business in Hong Kong. Even on social occasions, you’ll see people feverishly swapping cards.
? In Chinese names, the family name is followed by a generational name and then a given name (the latter two usually separated by a hyphen). Some Chinese people use the initials of their generational and given names, hence Lee Cheng-kwan can be known as C K Lee or Mr Lee. However, many people adopt an English first name or nickname to make it easier for Westerners to address them. Some of these adopted names are a little odd: an office might have Ice sitting next to Tabasco, Coke next to Pepsi. During anti-Western times English
names can be abandoned. It's easiest to ask your contact what they prefer to be called, and then, if significant time elapses between meetings, ask again. ? Most people should be addressed with their title and family name. If a person does not have a professional title (chairman, president, doctor, etc), then simply use “Mr ”, “Madam ”, “Mrs ” or “Miss ”, plus the family name.
? As on the mainland, a married Chinese woman usually retains her maiden name and will not use her husband’s name at all.
Working habits
? In Hong Kong business culture a person’s reputation and social standing rest on the concept of “face ”. Causing embarrassment or confrontation through loss of composure, even unintentionally, constitutes a “loss of face” and can be disastrous for business negotiations, unless—and this reflects true mastery of the culture—you know the precise moment when it is considered wise to be truculent. You should “give face ” through courtesy and showing respect. Punctuality is very important.
? The Chinese may use “face ” as a tool to make negotiations difficult for Westerners and to prevent a full and frank exchange. Chris Patten, the last governor of Hong Kong, argues that the concept gets more respect from the West than it deserves. But note that his approach was, in the end, no more effective than that of his most deferential predecessors.
? It is almost impossible to be too polite in Hong Kong. After business dinners and social occasions, hand-written thank-you notes on personalised stationery are common. Indeed many invitations come in the form of specially printed cards. There will be an e-mail as well (Hong Kong values efficiency), but increasingly, form matters. Indeed this is taken to great lengths: your hotel, school, suit, car and other details will all be given much greater scrutiny than in, say, New York.
? None of these, however, matter as much as a person’s circle of contacts, their company ’s contacts, and the willingness of each to provide introductions. Contacts need to be diligently tended and can be easily lost.
? Even in Hong Kong’s warm climate, formal business attire is required unless you are advised otherwise. Jackets and ties are also expected in many restaurants and clubs; this requirement is always clearly stipulated and politely enforced. For men, whatever their nationality, business dress differs only by the colour of pinstripe on a dark blue suit. Tans, browns and greens are evidence of a short-term stopover . Even grey, while fine, is a bit unusual. If you have
brought the wrong clothing, do not worry. You are in the best place in the world to have a new wardrobe made quickly.
? The range of clothing is almost as narrow for women. In Hong Kong ’s financial and legal world, proper winter attire is typically a dark skirt. Summer wear is a bit more varied but still restrained. The goal is to display individuality in only the most subtle way.
? Smoking is still widespread in China, but it is banned in Hong Kong’s public places, offices, bars and restaurants.
Gift-giving
? The important practice of giving and receiving gifts also involves “face ”. As in the exchange of business cards, it should be done with both hands. Unwrapping the gift immediately implies greediness and impatience, though, and might cause embarrassment if the gift turns out to be a poor choice. Provide the gift in the wrapping and bag from the original shop it came from. Brands matter .
? Gifts to avoid include clocks, as they connote death, and blankets, which are believed to cause a decline in prosperity.
? At Chinese New Year , it is customary to give Lai See —a red envelope containing money (usually HK$20)—to children and non-governmental personnel you deal with on a regular basis. You should enclose new bills, with even numbers to denote good luck and prosperity.
Eating and drinking
? Eating is a hugely important part of Chinese culture, and discovering the rituals and traditions is part of the fun of visiting Hong Kong. But foreigners will be forgiven for clumsy dining etiquette and offered a knife and fork if their chopstick prowess is lacking. Also, take comfort from the fact that in all but the smartest restaurants (particularly Chinese, dim sum and dai pai dongs—or food stalls), making a mess is perfectly acceptable, particularly if you eat all the food (thereby showing you enjoyed the meal). People will happily shell their prawns on the tablecloth, discard bones by their plates and slop soy sauce everywhere.
? In nice restaurants the required standard of manners can be quite different. Since the handover in 1997, Hong Kong has become increasingly polite and increasingly elegant. If you are a slob, no one will say anything—to you. They will, though, tell others (Hong Kong breathes gossipy information).
? There are a few no-nos, such as not turning the fish over while helping yourself to its flesh. Arising from South China ’s fishing community heritage is the superstition that turning over a fish will result in the capsizing of a fishing boat. Don ’t worry, though; because of this superstition, you are unlikely to be asked to bone it—the delicate separation of the fish skeleton from the lower half of the flesh is usually left to the meal’s host or a waiter.
? Drinks after work are common, as is wine at business meals.
For more information on Hong Kong, listen to our correspondent.
UPDATE: the original version of this list said that all forms of alcohol were expensive in Hong Kong because of the consumption tax. In fact this tax was lifted in February 2008 on wine and beer. Apologies.
4.6
1
Speak clearly.
2 Use the company's preferred greeting, if there is one. If not, state the name of the business.
Sponsored Links
Business Opportunity Connect with over 120,000 suppliers from Hong Kong, China and Taiwan
3
Be polite and responsive, giving the caller your full attention. Remember that at that moment, you're the company's representative.
4
Be as helpful as possible, even if it's not exactly your job to answer the phone.
5
Learn how to use the phone's features smoothly.
6
Ask permission first if you must put the caller on hold: "Would you mind holding for 1 minute?"
7 Don't forget the caller is waiting. Ask them periodically if they'd like to continue to hold, call back or leave a message.
8
Transfer the caller to someone who can help, if you can't.
9
Take a good message, if applicable, and pass it on to the recipient.
10
Thank the caller.
7.2
Conducting Effective Business Meetings
Every business, whether it has 2 employees or 2,000, has meetings as a regular part of getting things done. Although employees can communicate with one another in an organization in many different ways, business meetings — if they are conducted the right way — can be incredibly effective and efficient.
Meetings are not only one of the most important ways for employees to communicate within organizations, but they're also the way that teams get their work done. Although individual team members work on tasks outside of meetings, team meetings give members the opportunity to come together to determine the team's goals, its plans for achieving its goals, and who will do what — and when. Party2
We've all experienced more than our share of both good and bad meetings. What makes some meetings terrific, while others are simply the pits?
Employees benefit in several ways when a meeting is well run. Here's the good news about business meetings that fall into this category:
Meetings are empowering.
Meetings are a great way to communicate.
Meetings develop work skills and leadership.
Meetings are morale boosting.
Unfortunately, meetings are prone to fall into nonproductive pitfalls. Here's the negative side of meetings:
Meetings may not have focus.
Companies have too many meetings. Attendees may be unprepared.
Most meeting time is wasted.
Although this bad news may seem bleak, there is hope. For each of these problems, and for the many other kinds of problems that often plague business meetings, solutions are available.
8.5
Despite the drizzle and cold, Apple enthusiasts in Beijing still came to the Apple store, located in Sanlitun, to buy their long anticipated dream product —the licensed, WiFi version iPad.
The sales launch was set to be at eight this morning. But Han Ziwen, the first one in the long queue says he came three days ago.
"On Sept the 15th, I heard the news on a mobile TV when I was on a bus. I got off right away, and came all the way here immediately. I felt very lucky when the staff told me I was the first one. I've spent three nights at Sanlitun. Many net friends knew me through my Twitter. Some of them bought me food and have given me a lot of help in the past three days. I want to thank them."
Han Ziwen says the reason for his three day craze came from his liking for Apple's culture.
"Apple is not a time honoured brand. But it has maintained active interaction with its fans for a long time. Also, it represents creativity and freedom, 'cause the system enables me to operate it the way I want. Everyone likes to eat a fresh apple. Apple in my heart is always fresh."
By eight this morning, there were around 100 people waiting outside the store. Mr . Ning, a middle-aged man is one of them. Today he is going to buy his second iPad.
"I already bought one. I want to buy another one for my parents. It's user-friendly. You don't need to teach the elderly and the kids so many complicated operating procedures. Very easy to use. I use it to read books quite a lot. I also like the abundance of application software Apple provides."
Miss Gao is a pretty slim girl. What she cares about is the iPad's appearance. "I think it looks delicate. It feels good when I touch it. Touch screen, simple and nice looking. That's why many girls like it."
However , Zhang Xiaole, an IT engineer says, the iPad also has its drawbacks. "The biggest drawback is that it doesn't support flash, so I can't go to many websites and watch movies online and play games that use flash. Many of Apple's games are fancy. But the iPad doesn't support mouse and USB connections, so for people who love games like first person shooters, it's really hard to get accurate aiming. Plus, it doesn't have a physical key board. It's not comfortable if you use it for a long time."
Some domestic PC manufacturers are also planning to launch their touch screen products, such as Lenovo's LE Pad and ZTE's V9.
Le Pad is said to be available in the market by the end of the year . It uses Android system and has an independent keyboard. It's compatible with Lenovo's Le Phone.
V9 also has a keyboard and uses 7 inch display. It's price range will be about 50 percent higher than average smart phone.
For CRI, I am Li Dong.
9.1
Marketing is a process of communicating a value of product or service to customers.Marketing might sometimes be interpreted as the art of selling products, but selling is only a small fraction of marketing. As the term "Marketing" may replace "Advertising" .it is the overall strategy and function of promoting a product or service to the customer.
The American Marketing Association defines marketing as the activity, set of institutions, and processes for creating, communicating, delivering, and exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large.”
From a societal point of view, marketing is the link between a society's material requirements and its economic patterns of response.
It can be looked at as an organizational function and a set of processes for creating, delivering and communicating value to customers, and managing customer relationships in ways that benefit the organization and its shareholders. Marketing is the science of choosing target markets through market analysis and market segmentation, as well as understanding consumer buying behavior and providing superior customer value
10.1 Online shopping is a form of electronic commerce where while consumers directly buy goods or services from a seller of the internet without intermediary service.
Online shop or e-shop, e-store, internet shop, web-shop, web-store, online store or virtual store, evokes the physical analogy of buying products or services at a bricks-and-mortar retailer or shopping center, the process is called business-to-consumer (B2C) online shopping. When a business buys from another business, it is called business-to-business (B2B) online shopping. Online customers must have access to a computer and a method of payment. In general, higher levels of education income and occupation of the head of the household correspond to more favorable perceptions of non-store shopping. Also, increased exposure to technology increases the probability of developing favorable attitudes towards new shopping channels. In a December 2011 study, Equation Research found that 87% of tablet users made online transactions with their tablet devices during the early holiday shopping season.